David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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We are in public session. I ask everybody to turn off their mobile phones or put them on silent as they interfere with the sound system. I will start with my own.

The purpose of this part of the meeting is to engage with some of those who made written submissions to the committee on the general scheme of the bail Bill. We are joined by Ms Deirdre Duffy, deputy director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and Ms Grace Mulvey, a research and policy officer with the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. They are very welcome and I thank them for being here today. I also thank Ms Deirdre Malone, executive director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust. I also welcome Ms Jane Mulcahy who is an independent research consultant, and a member of the public rather than any organisation or group. The format of the meeting is that I will ask each witness to make an opening statement, which I ask them to keep to about five minutes. We will then have a question and answer session with members to tease out their main points.

I draw the attention of witnesses to the fact that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, you are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence you are to give to the committee. However, if you are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and you continue to so do, you are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of your evidence. You are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and you are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, you should not criticise or make charges against any person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

Members should also be aware that under salient rulings of the Chair they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the House or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.